Areas of Practice

• Animal Bites – A Neighbor’s dog bit me, requiring stitches  If someone sustained injuries due to an animal bite, very often I can collect a substantial settlement or award for the pain and suffering and other damages suffered by the victim.For a pet owner to be responsible for injuries inflicted by their animal, the owner has to have some indication that the pet had “vicious propensities”. For example, if the animal (a dog) was aggressively chasing people in the neighborhood or had bitten another person, this case is easily proven.Typically, pet bites are covered by the pet owner’s homeowner’s insurance thereby making the homeowner’s insurance company responsible for all damages. I have handled many such cases and my firm has obtained one of the largest settlements in New York State for a “dog bite” case.
• Auto Accident – I was injured in a car accident  If someone is injured in a car accident, all medical bills and wages (to a limited amount) are typically paid by the No-fault insurance company up to $50,000. The accident victim merely needs to file a No-fault application within thirty (30) days of the accident. The No-fault insurance company is typically the insurance for the car the victim was seated in at the time of the accident, or the car which struck the pedestrian or bicyclist.In addition, an injured victim may also sue the negligent driver and owner of the car which caused the accident. Such a case may be worth a substantial amount of money. There is an important requirement here that is unique to automobile cases. The injured victim can only sue if he/she has sustained a “serious injury”. The law involving a “serious injury” is extremely complex. Generally, a fracture, even a minor one, qualifies. A soft tissue injury (“whiplash”) generally is not sufficiently “serious” unless the victim is out of work for ninety (90) days. There are many exceptions to this.
• Birth Injuries – My child was born brain injured or with Erb’s Palsy An unborn child, like any other human being, is entitled to be free from injury due to medical malpractice. Since doctors or other health care professionals (nurses and/or midwives) are typically involved in a birth, it is important that they act “with reasonable care” in accordance with the standards of their profession. If they do not and as a result, the infant is born injured or compromised, the child has a legal right to sue for all his/her damages.
• Boat Accident – I was injured while boating  Marine accidents fall into two basic categories (an oversimplication). Typical local state laws of “negligence” and “reasonable care” apply to all persons operating watercraft on the water. This is true in all waterways, including rivers, lakes and even ponds.Marine accidents on larger bodies of water with tides (typically known as “navigable waters”) involve a complex array of Federal rules known as “Maritime law”. Maritime law includes “Jones Act” cases, “Death on the High Seas Act” cases and an entire body of caselaw (both State and Federal) dealing with issues such as personal injury, boat crashes, “seaworthiness” and Longshore and Harborworkers’ claims. Cruise ships are included in this category.
• Burns/Explosions – I have serious burns on my body  Chemical explosions, fires, buildings in flames and other such accidents often result in serious injury to building occupants or passersby. There are many complex laws and regulations that may result in liability on the building owner or other person or company causing the problem. Each case is unique. Experts are needed to determine causes of the event. Sometimes the “official” Fire Marshall’s report is in error or is insufficient. I can help. My firm has handled serious burn injury cases and has won verdicts involving large sums of money.
• Bus Accident – I was injured on public transportation < Buses, like automobiles, trucks and motorcycles must follow the rules of the road. Failure to do so is negligence. But, buses are also known as “common carriers” of the public and, as such, have a higher duty to afford their passengers a reasonable measure of safety. Did the bus stop short? Did the bus pull away from the curb too soon? Did a boarding passenger slip on ice inside the bus or on the stairs? These and other issues may prove a bus company to be responsible for your injuries and required to pay you compensation. No fault insurance may also be applicable to your bus related accident. Remember, there are deadlines in all such cases.
• Cerebral Palsy cases – My child has been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy  An unborn child, like any other human being, is entitled to be free from injury due to medical malpractice. Since doctors or other health care professionals (nurses and/or midwives) are typically involved in a birth, it is important that they act “with reasonable care” in accordance with the standards of their profession. If they do not and as a result, the infant is born injured or compromised, the child has a legal right to sue for all his/her damages.
• Construction Injuries – I fell off a scaffold or ladder at work  Protection of Workers in the Trades under the New York State “Safe Place to Work” LawsConstruction workers and those visiting construction projects for professional purposes are afforded SPECIAL PROTECTION under New York law (and some other states).

  New York’s Labor Law is a wonderful statute which gives special rights to those while working on construction sites. Section 240 of the Labor Law pretty much guarantees that any worker “falling from a height” will collect money for his injuries. Section 241(6) provide that the owner of a building may be sued for violations of the intricate and complex laws of the State Industrial Code if those violations result in injury to a construction worker. Special laws in this field make the OWNERS and GENERAL CONTRACTORS liable for accidents caused by subcontractors. I have personally handled many of these cases with great success for my injured clients.

• Defective Products – I was injured by a drug or an airbag (or other products)  Whether it be a drug with insufficient or fraudulent warnings, or an airbag that causes injury, or any other type of product that is defective, one thing is clear: bad products cause serious injuries. The law provides for strict liability for products which injure people for reasons such as 1) designed defectively or 2) produced defectively or 3) failure to warn of a danger. Should any of these problems result in an injury, you need a lawyer who handles these complicated cases.
• School Accidents – Injuries caused by Wire glass in doors and windows

            Each year many school children sustain serious injuries by coming into contact with wire glass. Wire glass is about half as strong as regular plate glass and the wires in the middle hold the sharp shards of glass in place when the glass breaks. The combination of the sharp wire and the glass being held together creates an unusually dangerous combination and results in horrible, life altering injuries. There are many ways to protect children from wire glass and many alternative products. For more information click onto my Blog page and read the article entitled ” The Hidden Danger of Wire Glass in our Schools”.